Step-bearing.



No. 834,897. K PATENTED Nov. s, 190e.

LTL-00D. STEP BEARING.

TTV, E MW l ma) i PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906. I

No. 834,89?u

H. J. FLOOD.

STEP' BEARING.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 2a, 1904.

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6 fea UNITED srA'rFs iinaiiaivl OFFICE.l

HARRY J.- FLOOD, `OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-

' STI-:Pf-BEARINel` Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Appnmon medium 23.1904. Serin 1ra-213.872.

To all whom/'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. FLOOD, a citizen of the United States, Iresiding at the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have inventedf a certain new and useful Im rovement in Step-Bearings,`

ofwhich the fo lowing'is a specification.

M invention relates to step-bearings for mac -nery;l andthe objects of the invention are, first, to obtain a large bearinv-surface in pro ortionto the diameter of Ache shaft; secon to provide a step wherein the bearing-surface will make proper contact whether the upright shaft 'is exactly vertical or not. I attain these objects by the mechanism illus- -trated in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the complete bearing. Fig.`2is a sectional plan view thereof'on line 2 2, Fig.' 1. L Fig; 1s a pers ective view of the lower thrustblock.

perforated plate intended to be inter osed.

ig. 4 is a perspective view of the etween the upper and lowerthrust-b ocks; and Fig. 5 is a fra mentary vertical sectional view on line 5 5, ig. 2, showing the communicatin oil-passages in the shaft, the upper any suitable foundation and is retaining the thrust-block holder -thrustlock, and the interposed plate. ,f

Similar letters referl to similar parts throughout the several views.

'- The base-plate a is designed to rest upon rovided with adjustingscrews a a for a ustably base-plate has the vertically-arranged portion a2, which in the present instance 1s a vraised annular boss for receiving said screws a and carrying them in a substantially horizontalposition. The -said thrust-block holdre l) has a spherical recess therein, adapted to receive the spherical lower extremity of the thrust-block c. The dowel-pins c', preferably two in number, are fastened to the thrust-block c so as to project downward into the pockets b b in the thrust-block holder b. .In the present instance said blockv is drilled and the pins fitted and driven intov the holes thus formed. By preference said pins are cylindrical, and the pockets h', which are also cylindrical, havea diameter great enough to permit-lateral lay of said pins therein.l a` result said block may assume various ,angles of inclination in'the holder, but will be prevented from rotating.

. Said i The top ofthe thrust-block c is so formed that when saidblock is in normal position in its holder the uppersurface will lie horizon- 'tal. The upper surface of the thrustblock c has anv oilroove c2. The upper portion of thrust-'bloei cis ofreduced diameter, thereby forming a flange cthe horizontal u per sur;

face whereof isadapted to receive t e lower extremity of the bushing d. The portion c* of block c above flange c3 has cylindrical sides side of part c* and upper surface of iange c3. t

The disk-like plate e, which is composed, preferably, of hardened steel, is of a diameter approximately equal to the inside diameter of the raised portion c* of block c and is adapted to lie `thereon and form a bearing Vfor the upper-thrust-blockf. Said late e has a central vertical aperture e an a set of similar vertical apertures e2, through which the oil l may flow through said block onto 'theto surface of the lower thrust-block c. By pre erencev the oil-holes e2 are arranged on a spiral or in such a manner that when said plate has made one complete revolution upon said thrust-block the oil will have been deposited in a series of concentric .circles overpracti- 'cally the entire surface from center to pe- -ripher'y of raised portion c. The central aperture e of plate e is designed to afford a suitable supply of oil to the groove c2, which ,y

being closed. at its ends by the bushing d acts- Vas a small auxiliary reservoir or supplychamber from which oil may be dra ge by the plate e. The upper thrust-bloc f also f fits` within the bushln d and is adapted to have a bearing upon p ate-e, so as to revolve 'thereon about a vertical or approximately vertical axis.` ASaid upper thrust-block is co'unterbored to receivev the lower extremityof the main shaft g, for which this device con stitutes a step-bearing. Said shaft is bored atits lower extremity, so that the doWel-pins. e

g g may be driven t reinto, and said upper thrust-blockf has pockets'jf f for receiving said doweipiq g v to prevent said shaft from roo' - their upper mouths open at the side of the l shaft above the top of the thrust-blockf.

atewill be rotated by the friction of the ro- "will cause the upper thrust-block 5,5

The bushing d and parts therein are inclosed within the oil-pot h, which inthe present instance is formed in two parts bolted together by means of the flanges h h. Said oil-pot consists of a cylindrical vessel having an inside diameter somewhat greater than the outside diameter lof the bushing d, so as to leave a space for lthe storageof the `lubrieating-oil. The size of the pot also permits the angular play ofthe shaft g and bearing parts without interfering therewith. At the I bottom of the oil-pot h are the flanges h2,

which are adapted'to be bolted down into the thrust-block holder b. ln order that the joint between the flange h and the holder b may be oil-tight, a shim e', of paper or other suitable material, may be interposed between said oil-pot and thrust-block holder.v The oil-pot 7L is, somewhat higher than the upper openings of the 'oil-passages g2, so that the oil may haveacoess to said passages.

A cap y'A is adapted to lit over the oil-pot.

andis aperturedso as tio-approach; but not bind, the shaft g. By preference said pot has a depending annular flange j', Ahaving a diameter greater than the outer diameter ofthe oil-pot, so that said cover may move laterally upon the oil-pot to accommodate itself to the -vari'ous angles of inclination of the shaft.

In operation when the parts are being assembled the base-plate a is first bolted down upon the Afoundation in approximately the proper position. The thrust-block holder-"b is thenplaced within said base-plate, and after the two thrust-blocks, the shaft, and oilpot are assembled in the manner shownthe shaft is trued up by means of the adjustingscrews a', so as to stand approximately vertical. After the oil-pot has been securel bolted down onto the thrust-block holder b -it is filled approximately full of oil and the cover j lowered into position.

When the shaft rotates, the dowel-pins g f to rotate with the shaftJ while the dowel-pins c will prevent the lower thrust-block c from rotating. The interposed plate e being free to rotating thrust-block f; but the rotation-,of said plate e will be retarded by its friction upon said lower" thrust-block, Aso that said plate will rotate at a slower speead than the shaft. Consequently there will ,be .two rubbing or bearing surfaces7 one on the top of the lower thrust-block and the other at the bottom of vthe upper thrust-block. `This therefore gives a bearing-surface'equal to the combined area of said thrust-blocks, and, the lubricatingsurface is consequently twice as great as 1t would be if plate e were not present.

It willbe noted that the diameter of plate e isconsiderably greater than that of shaft gv and as a result there is afforded in my device an area of lubricating or bearing surface much greater than the areaafordedin a step-- bearing where the shaft bears directly upon yitsstep, and the area here is still greaterthan in a step-bearing where the shaft bears' directly upon a non-rotating' part. During the rotation of the shaft the oil which'enters intothe passage gZ first reaches' the top of plate e from' passage f 2 and Vby-centrifugal action spreads out in allld-irections over the top of said plate. The oil in thus .spreading out reaches vthe small 'oil-passages eZ andpasses downward through thelnonto the top surface of the lower thrust-block c. 4 vlnasrnucl1\as said assages fe?. are spaced at different distances om the center, it will-occur that when said plate has made' a comof oil will be Vuninterru ted. This 'continuous ilow of oil through t 1e bearing is of great advantage both inkeeping the bearing cool, in promoting lubrication, and protractin the lifc of the -oil,'and this continuous and c fective circulation of the oil, taken in connection with the greatly-increased bearin surface, gives the step-bearing a high efficiency.

In the erection of heavy machinery it is often difficult to cause the shaft to stand in a perfectly vertical position and to maintain a strictly vertical position when rotating. With the present construction, however, .in

which the spherically-convex thrust-block c rests within acorres )onding spherical recess inthe thrust-block older the shaft may incline a considerable amou-ntfrom the vertical without in any way mipairing the eiliciency of the bearing.

Inasn'iuch as the flange c3 projects consider'ably beyond the sides of the shaft'g, a large bearing-surface at the bottouniof thrustblock c is rovided, `and`saidthrust-block may work liom side to side and still remain seated in said thrustblock holder.

IDO

shaft; a thrust-block` holder Whereon said j block is angularly movable for supportingv l the shaft in various angular positions above it, a base-plate for supporting said holder,

means for laterally adj usting said holder upon said base-plate, and an oil-pot upon saidholder, said pot communicating with the surfaces atwhich the thrust-block and holder make contact with each other, and said pot rising to a point above the top of said thrusty block.

2. In a ste -bearing, the combination of a thrust-block aving a convex lower extremity; and -a thrust block holder having a pherical concavity for receiving said thrustock,'one of said parts having a plurality of l dowel-pins and the other of sald parts having pockets for receivin said dowel-pins tov-prevent displacement o said block, and prevent rotation thereof, said pockets being of greater diameter than the dowel-pins for permitting l angular play of said block.

3. In a step-bearing, the combination of an upright shaft, an upper thrust-block for supporting it', means for imparting the rotation of the shaft to the thrustblcclr, a lower non-rotating thrust-block, means for supporting the latter in various angular posi-v tions, means for laterally adjusting said lower thrust-block, said upper and lower thrust-blocks both having cylindrical side portions reater in diameter than said shaft; and a bushing iitting over said cylindrical portions of said thrust-blocks for holdingr one above the other.

HARRY J. FLOOD.

Vitnesses: f

J. I. MCDONALD, HOWARD M. COX. 

